my beef caldereta

my mom cooks the best caldereta. mine is just a simplified version of hers. but my youngest daughter, micky, loves it! here's how i do it :


1 kilo beef cubed
1/2 cup chicken liver, boiled and mashed
2 medium size red bell pepper, cut into 1” square
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese or feta cheese
1/2 tsp. ground peppercorns
2 medium size onion, chopped
1/2 head garlic, chopped
1 cup green olives
1 cup tomato sauce
1/2 tsp hot sauce
3 bay leaf
salt and ground pepper
1/2 cup raisins
2 large potatoes cubed
1 carrot, sliced
1/2 cup water.

all i do is put them all together in the slow cooker and cook high for 4-5 hours or until tender. mix from time to time and add water as needed.

the other way of doing it is saute the garlic, onions and beef (in that order) in olive oil. then add all the liquid and seasoning. when meat is already cooked, add the potatoes, olives, carrots, liver paste, cheese and raisins, etc. cook until meat is tender. add water as needed.

embutido

here is another requested recipe from my cousin in Utah, Mhai. (note: the picture is not my own..i just "borrowed" it from somewhere so you can see how it should look like)

as with lumpiang shanghai, i never liked embutido as a kid hehe...but now, i love preparing it simply because it is so easy to make and my kids like it (what's new? haha)

ingredients:

2 lbs ground pork (or you may combine with beef)

1 luncheon meat cut in small cubes

6 pcs hotdogs, cut in half lengthwise (optional)

3 pcs hard boiled eggs, sliced lengthwise in quarters

1/2 cup green or black olives, sliced thinly

1/3 cup tomato sauce or catsup

2 raw eggs

2 cups cheddar cheese, grated (optional)

2 cup red and green bell pepper, minced

2 cups raisins

1 cup carrots, minced

1 cup onion, minced

salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients except for the hotdog and hard boiled eggs very well. Wrap in cut foil (cylindrical shape) depending on the size you prefer putting the hard boiled egg slices and hotdog strips in the center. Lock the edges of the aluminum foil. The wider the diameter, the more time you need to cook it. Steam for 1 hour or bake in the oven at 375 degrees for 30 mins. (steaming is better but i prefer baking it for convenience) Check one piece if already cooked before turning off the oven. In both cases, let it cool before slicing. You may store in the refrigerator for later or the freezer if you intend to consume the embutido after more than 3 days. Serve with banana catsup.

lumpiang shanghai

Per my cousin, Mhai's request, I am posting my own lumpiang shanghai recipe.

As with other kids, mine love lumpiang shanghai a lot...however, i grew up not liking the dish. i preferred (and still do) lumpia vegetables especially toge (bean sprouts). My lumpiang shanghai can have anything and everything in it...it could be ground pork, ground beef, ground chicken or even turkey...i also grind and add any vegetable that is available in my refrigerator. but most of the time i use carrots and/or potatoes and celery.

ingredients:

2 lbs ground pork/beef/chicken/turkey or combination

½ cup green onions

1 cup carrots - ground or minced

i cup potatoes - ground or minced (optional)

1/2 cup celery - ground or minced

minced or chopped kintsay or cilantro (optional)

1 cup onion - chopped finely

1 egg as binder

1 tbs salt

2 tsp ground black pepper

Lumpia wrapper (Spring roll skin)

Mix all ingredients very well. Wrap in lumpia wrapper folding the edges. If you are not cooking the lumpia right away, line them up in a sealed container placing wax paper in between layers then freeze. You don't have to thaw the lumpia before cooking it. Deep fry making sure that all sides are cooked. I use low to medium heat to avoid burning and to make sure that the inside is well cooked. Drain in paper towels before cutting them into 3- inch pieces. Serve with sweet and sour sauce or spiced vinegar.

If you are making your own sweet and sour sauce, combine 1 cup of water, 1/2 cup vinegar, 3 tsps cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce, 1 tsp catsup, 3 tsps sugar, salt and pepper to taste. Make sure that the cornstarch is melted with no lumps before simmering. Boil/simmer stirring the mixture until you've reached the right consistency.

Enjoy.